Not One of Them
by pythonOwl31
Summary: Agent Prentiss joins the BAU just as Gideon leaves. Reid isn't the only one who won't accept her. Emily hopes to make friends with her new teammates, but sometimes it's best to suspect an outsider. No shipping, no slash. Dark themes. Potential trigger warning. Emily-centric. Set in season 2.


Chapter 1

I gazed at the nameplate on the door as I entered the floor cautiously yet confidently. "Unit Chief", it proclaimed in black letters above the title "Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner". I adjusted my box, reeling my shoulders backwards and straightening my back further, taking care to clink my heels just loud enough as I rose up the small flight of stairs. _Mother would_ almost _be proud_ , I thought to herself smugly.

Allowing my contagious smile to spread across my face before dialing it back to create a professional yet eager appearance, I knocked sharply thrice on the door.

"Come in", boomed a confident,busy voice.

 _Some alpha males you can just smell,_ I thought as I pushed open the door, gingerly peering my head in before gliding towards the frowning figure.

He interrupts his work to smile at me in recognition; he had worked security detail for my mother in years past. _Of course he'd remember me, the young, alluring daughter,_ I couldn't help but think, rather smartly. After a brief reminiscence, the Unit Chief returned to his spot behind his desk and asked,

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, I guess I was hoping you could tell me where to put my stuff", I replied as I swallowed the panic which arose in my chest. I took a step closer to the desk in earnest.

The Chief merely frowned.

"Sorry?"

Eyes widening in slight terror, I managed, "I'm supposed to start here today, at the BAU."

He shook his head, decidedly beginning to return to his paperwork.

"There's been a mistake", he firmly announced. He looked rather uncomfortable and irritated, as though I was a bug he wished to suddenly shoo out of the room.

"I don't think so, sir", I pleaded, feeling slightly faint. _Wow, that was lame. This job is YOURS!_

"Yeah, definitely a mistake", he replied offhandedly, as though trying to convince us both.

There was a sharp knock on the door just then. A slim, blonde agent briskly opened the door, eyes making a swift pass over me, eyebrows raising as she addressed her boss.

"Excuse me, we're ready to get started", she quickly informed him.

"Thank you, I'll be right there", the Chief responded to his agent. His head turned back to me. "I did not approve this transfer, Agent Prentiss. I am sorry for the confusion, but you have been misinformed. Excuse me, it was very good to see you again," he hastily spoke before leaving the room with an air of superiority and utmost importance.

I stood there, mouth gaping as I stared at him, clutching my box of belongings and feeling like a lost little girl.

I watched her suspiciously as I listened, intrigued, to my boss introduce an Agent Emily Prentiss. _She looks nervous. This one isn't gonna hold up,_ I thought with a smirk. _She looks like a rookie on the first day off probation on the Chicago Police Department,_ I mused as I continued to watch her, forming a profile as I evaluate her every move, all while being certain to pay close enough attention to JJ. She's gone over the profile and is now pulling out documents, saying,

"That's not in the transcript, it's…" she trailed off, and the visiting agent quickly interjected,

"It's in Arabic," and, bent over the document with intense focus, proceeded to read, fluently yet in staccato, "Our friends surprised us and eloped. We can no longer wait for the wedding as planned. We can deliver our gift at the next crescent".

She finished reading and sat up, adjusting her hair and looking up to surprised faces. I glanced at Reid, who appeared to share my suspicion.

"I...uh...lived in several Middle Eastern countries growing up", she stuttered, as though in explanation. Her eyes flittered about nervously, and she ducked her head, either in embarrassment or pleased at the recognition.

It was then that I decided that I disdain this Agent Prentiss.

I had been working at the BAU for two fortnights now, and it was a slow and tumultuous start. Each of the agents on the team, while extremely loyal to each other, treating one another like family, was civil and polite at best, save for a few rare moments once or twice a week.

Garcia was a kind yet protective soul, and it seemed I had to earn a spot in her heart as someone who would never harm her "babies".

Perhaps one day I would even be considered one of the herd. But for now, I worked every hour to prove that I belonged in this unit of my own merit, not because of who my parents happened to be.

I sighed and prepared myself as I stepped off of the elevator to find Garcia gliding towards Morgan, who had perched himself on Reid's desk, laughing at their latest attempt to find Reid a girl. I eased my bag onto my desk as I shrugged my coat off. I had to mentally coax myself to be peppy as I watched everyone's interactions with envy.

"Good morning, baby girl," Morgan was saying as he leaned into the tech's touch.

"I'll show you a good morning, hot stuff", Garcia sultrily replied with a wink.

She nudged him with her hips and poked his cheek with one feathery end of her seemingly endless supply of pink, fluffy, sparkly pens.

Morgan grinned and pinched her nose, causing a high-pitched squeal as Garcia waved ferociously and fairly bounced to her office.

I smirked at the scene before me. "Good morning!" I nodded at Morgan and Reid after watching the flurry of Garcia enter her office. "Wow", I said, bemused, "It's great to come in on Mondays to such energy!" I smiled warmly at Morgan and Reid.

"Hey," Reid said nodding his head at me with a grimace before he leaned over to return Morgan's fist bump for his "latest conquest".

"That's what's up, man," Morgan said to Reid.

Then he threw me a casual nod. "Prentiss," he said, as though in question.

"So either of you do anything interesting this weekend?" I asked as I sat at my desk. I looked at my large stack of paperwork then at Reid's incredibly thin pile. _I wonder if he'd notice if I slipped him a few?_ I thought mischievously.

Morgan grinned. "It's a long story, right Reid?" He slapped Reid on the shoulder and stood. Reid merely smirked and shook his head.

"I read five books on string theory. It was as interesting as it was enriching", came the matter-of-fact reply.

I squinted my eyes at him, unsure if he was using sarcasm or worse, being entirely serious. Before I could contemplate any longer, I turned to see JJ rushing out of her office.

"GUYS." She gripped the railing to pause her momentum. Conference room, five minutes. It's bad."

"Guess the weekend's over," I said. "Too bad I can't listen to Priori and make it the weekend again," I laughed. Reid stared blankly at me, and Morgan scoffed.

"Wow." he muttered as he walked over to the coffeepot, shaking his head.

"Tough _crowd_ ," I murmured as I began to prepare myself for the

meeting. _Bring bring!_ My phone shrilly rang. "Prentiss," I said brusquely.

Upon a moment of silence, my face paled. I sat up straight and started almost hissing in rapid fire Italian before ending the call and rushing to the conference room.

"Agent Prentiss, you're late", Hotch's voice boomed. All eyes were on me, penetrating through my skull.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry, sir, I had a call and-"

He held out his hand. "We were _wait_ ing." He signaled JJ, who shot me an impatient and annoyed glare, to begin.

"Sorry," I whispered as I slid into my spot.

JJ began to go into the details of the latest case: four families, all from Arkansas, had been held hostage in their homes. Each family had a newborn, who was found dead in the pool of the family's next-door neighbor. The rest of the family was chained to the bed in the master bedroom, a pitcher of water and a picture of the baby left just out of reach.

I stared, horrified at the pictures of the youngest baby, only weeks old when he died. _So young, he never experienced anything yet. He never-_

"Prentiss?" Hotch said. I looked up to find him at the door. JJ was gathering her files, Garcia was toting her laptop back to her office, and Morgan and Reid were pushing their chairs in. Somehow I'd went the whole meeting barely uttering a word. _Great. So much for showing them how good I am. I better make up for it on the plane._

As I trailed Reid outside, he stopped abruptly and turned around.

"You know, Emily, if you can't be objective enough to help with this case...maybe this unit isn't cut out for you. We actually see much worse than this on a regular basis. Just something to think about". He took a step back, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he raised his eyebrows at me, his mouth a thin line as he nodded with a strange sense of finality.

"Spencer-" I started as he turned around.

His head snapped back. " _Dr._ Reid. I actually have three doctorates, Emily."

"S-sorry, Dr. Reid. And I can be incredibly objective. But I'm also human." I turned away from him slightly. "I'll see you on the plane." Both of us scoffed and walked away from each other.


End file.
